Ear-irrigating device.



E. P. "FOWLER. EAR'IRRIGATIN G DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 21 1908.

Patented Apr. 18-, 1911.

ATTORNEY EDMUND P. FOWLER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

EAR-IRRI GATING DEVICE,

Specification of letters latent.

Patented lid,

Application filed February 21, 1908. Serial No. 416,937.

Which the following is a full, clear, and

exact specification.

My invention relates to means for irrigating recesses of cavities in thehuman anatomy, and the same has for its object more .particularly toprovide a simple, eficient and reliable apparatus for irrigating ordouching the cavities of the ear for the purpose of treatin diseasesaflecting the same.

Further, said invention has for its. object to provide an apparatuswhich is so constructed that the nozzle portion thereof will readilyadjust or accommodate itself to the cavity when the apparatus is placedin position over, the same.

Further, said invention has for its object to provide an a paratus bymeans of which the irrigating uid may be introduced into the cavityelther under air pressure produced vvfhin said a paratus, or under apartial .acuum, or a ternately under pressure and vacuum, as desired.

Further, said nvention has for its ob ect to provide an apparatus whichis so constructed that its inclosing portion will fit over and inclosethe ear, and catch all the fluid discharged into the car.

Further said invention has. for its object to provide an apparatus whichis so constructed that it Will be'impossible for the user to injure inthe slightest degree the partssubjected to treatment.

To the attainment of the aforesaid objects and ends my inventionconsists in the novel details of construction, and in the combination,connection and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described,,and ther. pqinted out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification whereinlike nun'iera-ls of reference indicate like parts, Figure 1 is asectional view taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 4, showing one form ofapparatus constructed according to, and embodying my said invention, asapplied to a human car; the outer ear being shown in front or end View,and the inner ear and related parts in section; Fig. 2 is a face viewshowing the inclosiug rcrcphn'lo and the nozzle therein; 3 is a centralsection, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, showing portions of the intakeand discharge tubes attached thereto, and Fig. 4 is a section takenessentially on the 1ine 4r-t of Fig. 1.

In said drawings the apparatus is shown as composed of an inclosingreceptacle 10 adapted to inclose an ear. Said receptacle may be made ofany desired form and ma terial, but preferably of glass, and has acircular opening 11 at its inner side of smaller diameter than saidreceptacle provided with a head 12, ads. ted for contact with the sideof the head immediately adjoin'in the ear.

13 denotes an outlet nipple provided at the lower edge of saidreceptacle 10 to which is attached one end of a rubber tube 14, whichmay he of any suitable or required iength, but by preference is madeabout two to three feet in length, depending upon the degree of suctiondesired.

15 denotes a nozzle which may he made either integral with saidreceptacle 10, or separately therefrom, and then secured adjacent to itsouter end tosaid receptacle at the middle thereof andhaving its reducedend extending into said receptacle 10 to a point a short distance fromthe opening 11 at its inner side. The outer projecting end of saidnozzle 15 is rovided with an en larged portion 16 to receive one end ofa rubber tube 17 communicating at its other end with a suitable sourceof fluid sup 3y.

To the inner reduced end of thenozzle 15- is' attached a small, softrubber tube section 18 which projects through the aperture 11 and beyondthe edge thereof.

19 denotes the outer car, 520 the side of the head immediately adjoiningand surrounding the same, 21- the external auditory canal in the car, 22the tympanic membrane or drum, 23 the middle ear or tympanum, and 24theEustachian tube which communicates with the nose.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: If, for example, it isdesired to treat or irrigate the external auditory canal-the receptacle10 is adjusted over the ear, the top of the flexible nozzle being at thesame time inserted into the canal 21 Within which it will automaticallyadjust itself inward until the head or rim 12 of the receptacle 10 comesinto close contact with the side of the head. l luid is thereuponpermitted to pass from a suitable font or container through into theauditory passage thereby flushinlg,

cleansing and medl'cating the same and fa ing back through theauditory-canal 21 into the receptacle whence it will be carried throughthe discharge tube 14 leading from. the outlet nipple 13 at the loweredge thereof. If it is desired to flush out the arts and at the sametime apply suction it simply becomes necessary to hold the bead or rim12 of the receptacle 10 closely a ainst the'side of the head, and thenpermit the fluid to flow through the flexible section 16 of the nozzleinto the ear and out again into the receptacle 10 and thus through thedischarge pipe 14 and nipple 13. In this way a suction will beestablished by the flow of the fluid from the nozzle 15 and its beingconducted from the receptacle 10 through the outlet 14 as long as thereceptacle 10 is held to its adjusted position against the side of thehead. If it is desired to flush out the parts and at the same timeforce. the fluid into the parts which would fail to be reached by thesimple flushing, or by the flushing in the presence of suction, itmerely becomes necessary to construct theoutlet or discharge tube li-leading from the outlet nipple 13 for the receptacle 1O suflicientlyto cafuse the fluid discharged from the nozzle 1]? into the receptacle10 to exceed said disc arge which is conducted therefrom through theoutlet nipple 13 and tube 14 and thus produce an accumulation of fluidin said receptacle which Will'compress the air contained therein. Thecompressed air will then pass into and distend all the parts and with acertain quantity of the fluid find its escape through any openingspresent, such as a perforation of the auditory passage 21, the membrane22, tympanic cavity 23, or the Eustachian tube 24:. By releasing thepressure on the discharge tube 14, and giving the same its full openingan exhausting action is produced which will draw' all the fluids backthrough the above mentioned,

openings, auditory passage, 21 and Eusta- I claim and desire to secureby Letters Pat cut is 1. An ear irrigating device, comprising' areceptacle provided with an openlng 1n one side thereof having itsentire edge in the same plane and adapted to freely inclose the ear, arigid nozzle section secured in the opposite side of said receptacle, aflexible tubular section secured to the inner end of said rigid nozzlesection having its free end extendin outwardly through the openin in thesi e of said receptacle and adapte to conform itself to the contour ofthe external auditory canal, and means on said receptacle for connectingsaid nozzle with a source of fluid supply, substantially as specified.

2. An ear irrigating device, comprising a receptacle provided with anopening in' one side thereof having its entire edge in the same planeand adapted to freely inclose the car, a rigid nozzle section secured inthe opposite side of said receptacle and arranged partly within andpartly without said receptacle and adapted to be connected with a sourceof fluid supply, a flexible tubular section secured to the inner end ofsaid rigid nozzle section having its free end extending outwardlythrough the openin in the side of said receptacle and adapte to conformitself to the contour of the external auditory canal, and an outletnipple arranged at the lower edge of the said receptacle, substantiallyas specified.

Signed at the city of New York, in the county and State of New York,this 18th day of February, nineteen hundred and eight.

EDMUND RFOWLER.

Witnesses I Column A. Din'rniuon,

A. It. Axons.

